Four suspects narrowly escaped death at the hands of an angry mob after being caught slaughtering and selling donkey meat in Kaminji village, Mwea-West, Kirinyaga County.
The villagers, incensed by the discovery, captured the four alleged donkey thieves and set one of their cars on fire. According to Kirwarwa Sub-location Assistant Chief Zacharia Miano Muchiri, the suspects were caught butchering 30 donkeys near the River Sagana. Three managed to escape, while one remained in custody.
“Some of the suspects were found loading meat into two vehicles, a Pajero and a Probox. The Probox was set on fire before we intervened, preventing the mob from torching the Pajero as well,” Assistant Chief Muchiri reported.
The police struggled to protect the suspects from the enraged crowd. The situation de-escalated when one of the suspects, Ndirangu, revealed details of their operations in an attempt to save his life. He pleaded, “Please don’t kill us. We will tell you everything. We sell the donkey meat at Burma Market in Nairobi and pay those who slaughter Ksh 10,000 after the business ends.”
James Maina, the Kirwara village head, highlighted the severity of the crime, noting that a colt was among the slaughtered donkeys, indicating that one of the animals was pregnant.
Samuel Magu Kariuki, a villager, recounted his shock at the scene, explaining that he had prepared to shoot one of the drivers with a bow and arrow before the suspect surrendered. “Initially, we detained two individuals and eventually apprehended two more. We are still looking for the remaining three suspects,” Kariuki said.
Residents expressed deep concern over the rising incidents of livestock theft in the area. Stephen Mwaura Karanja voiced the community’s outrage and hoped that this incident would deter future thefts.
